Field of the Disclosure
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device which facilitates a simple structure by partially removing structural and optical components.
Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is a device for displaying information through the use of light modulation in a liquid crystal cell. As a voltage is applied to a specific alignment of liquid crystal molecules included in the LCD device, the specific alignment of liquid crystal molecules is changed to another alignment. Thus, the LCD device converts a change of optical properties such as birefringence, optical rotatory power, dichroism and light scattering properties in the liquid crystal cell into a visual change. The LCD device includes a backlight unit provided below a liquid crystal display panel. In this case, an image is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel by light emitted from the backlight unit.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view illustrating a related art LCD device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art LCD device may include a liquid crystal display panel 10, a guide panel 20, a rear cover 30, a plurality of light source modules 40, a diffusion plate 50, an optical sheet 60, and a front case 70.
The liquid crystal panel 10 may include lower and upper substrates 11 and 13 bonded to each other with a liquid crystal layer (not shown) interposed therebetween, a lower polarizing film 15 attached to a rear surface of the lower substrate 11, and an upper polarizing film 17 attached to a front surface of the upper substrate 13.
The guide panel 20 supports a rear edge of the liquid crystal display panel 10, and covers a lateral surface of the liquid crystal display panel 10. To this end, the guide panel 20 may include a guide sidewall 21 for covering each lateral surface of the liquid crystal display panel 10, and a panel placing portion 23 formed in a square-shaped frame protruding from an inner surface of the guide sidewall 21, wherein the panel placing portion 23 is provided in the square-shaped frame with a predetermined thickness so as to support the rear edge of the liquid crystal display panel 10.
The rear cover 30 receives the plurality of light source modules 40 therein, and also supports the diffusion plate 50, the optical sheet 60 and the guide panel 20. In this case, the rear cover 30 may include a bottom supporter, an inclined portion inclined at a predetermined height from a bottom surface, and an upper supporter provided in an upper side of the inclined portion and formed with a predetermined width while being parallel to the bottom supporter.
The plurality of light source modules 40 are arranged at fixed intervals on the bottom supporter of the rear cover 30, wherein a distance between each of the light source modules 40 is fixed to ‘D1’, as shown in FIG. 1. For example, each of the light source modules 40 may include a light emitting diode.
The diffusion plate 50 is formed of a flat plate shape having a predetermined thickness. The diffusion plate 50 is placed onto the upper supporter of the rear cover 30 so that the diffusion plate 50 covers a front surface of the rear cover 30 with the plurality of light source modules 40 received therein, whereby light being incident from the plurality of light source modules 40 is diffused and advanced toward the liquid crystal display panel 10. Each lateral surface of the diffusion plate 50 is surrounded by the guide sidewall 21 of the guide panel 20 so that a position of the diffusion plate 50 is fixedly maintained by the guide panel 20.
The optical sheet 60 is provided on the diffusion plate 50, and the optical sheet 60 improves luminance properties of light being incident from the diffusion plate 50 and provides the light with improved luminance properties toward the liquid crystal display panel 10. To this end, the optical sheet 60 may include a lower light-condensing sheet 61, an upper light-condensing sheet 63, and a diffusion sheet 65. Each lateral surface of the optical sheet 60 is surrounded by the guide sidewall 21 so that a position of the optical sheet 60 is fixedly maintained by the guide panel 20.
The front case 70, which is connected with the guide sidewall 21 of the guide panel 20, surrounds a front edge of the liquid crystal display panel 10 and each lateral surface of the guide panel 20, thereby fixedly maintaining a position of the liquid crystal display panel 10 supported by the guide panel 20.
However, the related art LCD device has the following disadvantages.
First, the related art LCD device inevitably requires the components such as the guide panel 20 for supporting the liquid crystal display panel 10 and fixing the position of the optical component such as the diffusion plate 50 and optical sheet 60, whereby the number of components is increased. Due to the increased number of components included in the related art LCD device, the yield is lowered and manufacturing cost is increased.
Also, a gap space (G) is prepared between the liquid crystal display panel 10 and the optical sheet 60 due to the panel placing portion 23 of the guide panel 20. Thus, Mura defects may occur due to a contact between the liquid crystal display panel 10 and the optical sheet 60 in accordance with a thermal expansion of each of the liquid crystal display panel 10 and the relatively-thick diffusion plate 50.